FHA condo financing has gotten harder for many customers over the past few years. Luckily some changes announced in September could help. The National Association of REALTORS(R) broke down the changes: 1) Investors can buy up to half of project units. The maximum before was 10% investor-owned. 2) More commercial space is allowed in a [...]
FHA mortgages are very popular in the Baltimore real estate market. For not much money down, Baltimore homebuyers can get into the home of their dreams, and use any reserves they have to decorate or buy furniture. The amount that may be in reserves is going to lessen by a significant amount on April 1, [...]
Recently, there were changes made to the FHA condo regulations on which projects can be FHA insured or not. According to a Washington Post rundown of the changes, a major one is the "spot approval" that used to be acceptable to be eligible for an FHA loan. Another article goes more in depth on the [...]
The FHA annual mortgage insurance premium is set to rise by .25% for any loan case numbers assigned after April 18, 2011. Bob Mowrey, from Corridor Mortgage Group, let me know just what this could mean to FHA buyers. On average, he says, this would mean that buyers will pay an extra $30/month. For a [...]
Many buyers and sellers are trying to time their sale or purchase based on whether they feel house prices may have hit the bottom or if they will fall further. According to a recent USNews Money report, the housing market bottom may already be here. Why? Some areas show homes are undervalued, and increases in [...]
FHA Condo approval expiration dates were extended by the FHA, and this news shared by one of my mortgage partners, Brian Picker, of 1st Mariner Mortgage Corporation. Thank you, Brian! From Brian Picker, 1st Mariner Mortgage: Big news as older FHA Pre-construction Condos in Toronto projects were set to expire yesterday which would have been [...]
With the many changes in the mortgage industry, it is hard to keep up with what deadlines are coming up next. On December 7, 2010, the FHA condo recertification process must be completed by each individual condominium complex in order to be eligible for homebuyers to receive FHA financing in their building. There is an [...]
Will FHA be flexible with seller closing cost assistance? That is possible, according to a report from National Mortgage News late last week. FHA guidelines have changed, and more changes are on their way. Beginning Monday, October 4, the new FHA changes take effect, including lower upfront mortgage insurance premium and higher monthly insurance premiums. [...]
Does HUD owe you a refund? If you had an FHA-insured mortgage after September 1, 1983 and meet certain qualifications (including no refinance), then possibly! Here are the eligibility requirements from their website: Who may be eligible for an FHA refund or share? Premium Refund: You may be eligible for a refund of a portion [...]
FHA is offering refinances for qualifying underwater borrowers, according to a mortgagee letter sent out by HUD last week. Mortgagee Letter 2010 -23 came as a result of the changes announced by HUD in March 2010 in the MHA (Making Housing Affordable) FHA program. The letter states that the focus of the program is: These [...]